This invention relates to the production of alcohols. In one aspect, this invention relates to the production of alcohols by the reaction of selected organic peroxides, including polyperoxides and cyclic peroxides, with a triorganophosphine. In another aspect, this invention relates to a process for converting selected organic peroxides to alcohols in a reaction medium comprising water and organic solvents miscible with water. In a further aspect, this invention relates to the production of novel diols from diene polyperoxides.
The reaction of an organic peroxide with a triorganophosphine to yield an alcohol is known to the prior art. However, the alcohol is obtained as a mixture with an ether corresponding to the peroxide from which it is obtained. The ether may even be the major or sole product. This leads to separation and recovery of product problems which render the prior art processes unattractive commercially.